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The best tinted lip balms with skincare credentials

Somewhere between lipstick and lip oil live the best tinted lip balms. It’s what you reach for when your lips are peeling, your brain is buffering and you’re in the mood for colour without commitment. The right one won’t just make you look alive on a video call or after a nap—it’ll also do the behind-the-scenes work: soothing cracks, softening flakiness, sealing in moisture.
Today’s best tinted lip balms don’t settle for wax and wishful thinking. They’re loaded with barrier-loving butters (shea, mango, murumuru), occlusives like squalane and powerful actives like peptides, ceramides or vitamin E.
Below, a list of tinted lip balms that deliver both pigment and benefits.
Lancôme Lip Idôle Butterglow Balm
The skincare credentials here are serious: 12% squalane, ceramides and a formula designed to boost hydration by 37% in 24 hours. But it’s the finish that keeps people hooked; a dewy glow with flattering colour payoff that doesn’t veer into gloss territory. The balm smooths out lip lines, cushions flaky spots, and over time, even softens dryness and texture. It’s comfort-first but designed to look and feel luxe, like a facial in tinted lip balm form.
LANEIGE Glaze Craze Tinted Lip Serum
Laneige’s Glaze Craze is laced with polypeptides, argan ceramides and polyglutamic acid—a trio that does everything from plumping fine lines to coddling a compromised barrier. The finish is what you’d expect from the name: high-shine and reflective. It smells faintly sweet, glides on with a doughnut-shaped applicator and walks the line between playful and high-functioning.
Forest Essentials Madhu Rasa Tinted Lip Serum
The Fores Essentials Madhu Rasa Tinted Lip Serum folds in everything from oils and moringa to pomegranate extract and pure cow’s ghee, washed 100 times in the traditional Shata Dhauta Ghrita method, no less. The texture is light and non-sticky, the tint sheer and buildable and plenty of shades to choose from. It sinks in instantly and wears well under lipstick, but the appeal lies in how luxurious it feels on its own.
Guerlain KissKiss Bee Glow
This is Guerlain in its garden era. A tribute to bees, yes, but also to texture: soft, melty and just glossy enough to feel indulgent. The formula leans on honey, propolis and beeswax—ingredients that soothe, nourish and plump without overwhelming the lips. A touch of hyaluronic acid adds bounce, while a pigment-reviving compound subtly wakes up your natural lip tone.
Estée Lauder Pure Color Revitalizing Crystal Balm
Part mood-lifter, part lip balm, this crystal-inspired stick comes in six sheer, glow-enhancing shades designed to flatter most skin tones. It’s made with over 90% naturally derived ingredients and offers a pearlescent finish that walks the line between shimmer and sheen. What you’re left with: lips that feel hydrated, look luminous and give off just enough colour to seem intentional. Consider it your “no makeup, but I still care” fallback.
Dior Addict Lip Glow Lip Balm
A backstage favourite that went viral, Dior Addict Lip Glow Lip Bam delivers the kind of made-for-you tint that reacts to your lips’ pH level for a barely-there flush. Cherry oil, shea butter and sunflower wax do the heavy lifting on hydration, while the finish is glossy without being wet.
Givenchy Rose Perfecto Lip Balm
Don’t let the marble swirl fool you; this is less novelty, more nourishing staple. With a base of rose oil, shea butter, hyaluronic acid and pink pepper extract, Givenchy’s Rose Perfecto is engineered for both instant and overtime hydration. It adapts to your pH for a tailored flush and the creamy texture melts in without leaving behind a greasy film.
YSL Loveshine Candy Glow
A tinted balm with main character energy. YSL’s Loveshine Candy Glow delivers that slick, bouncy finish associated with high-gloss lips—only it’s powered by 98% natural-origin ingredients like maracuja oil, jojoba and shea butter. The PH Color Rush tech adjusts to your unique lip tone, leaving behind a dewy tint that feels like skincare but wears like a statement. If you’re after glow without the glitter, this is your sweet spot.
LES BEIGES HEALTHY GLOW LIP BALM
This is CHANEL doing what CHANEL does best. Moringa butter and vitamin E team up to soothe, defend, and smooth, while a subtle fragrance lifts the experience without making itself known. The balm glides on into a soft tint that look like your lips, but better.
Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint
Designed to play nice with your natural lip tone, this botanical oil blend (olive, jojoba, avocado) brings just enough colour to make a difference without overwhelming your face. It softens dry patches, smooths lip lines and thanks to a plumping peptide complex, gives lips a fuller appearance without the sting or sheen of traditional plumpers.
NARS Afterglow Lip Balm
Powered by a monoi hydrating complex featuring coconut oil, gardenia extract, and squalene, it cushions the lips while adding a subtle wash of colour. There’s no theatrics. Just a balm that knows what it needs to do.
Kylie Cosmetics Tinted Butter Balm
This butter balm glides like a gloss, feels like a balm and leaves behind a finish that’s luminous but not lacquered. Jojoba oil handles the hydration brief, offering 12 hours of wear that doesn’t feel sticky or overly slippery. A solid option for anyone who wants their balm to play double-duty as a low-key lipstick.
Augustinus Bader The Tinted Lip Balm
Powered by the brand’s proprietary TFC8 complex—peptides, amino acids and vitamins—it targets lip lines, sagging and dullness while delivering colour in soft, sophisticated shades. It’s skincare in lipstick’s clothing, designed to hydrate deeply while subtly enhancing lip tone. If you’re invested in long-term lip health but still want something to swipe on before Zoom calls, this is the luxury pick for you.
Also read:
The best lip oils to hydrate, tint and shine
10 peptide lip balms that do more than just hydrate
If you have lip pigmentation, these are the 12 mistakes to avoid, according to a dermatologist